The more experience people have, the more assumptions they are likely to make around why an idea “won’t work.” This is often because they have seen many successes and failures throughout their careers and want to avoid repeating mistakes. As a result, the most seasoned workers — who typically happen to be the most powerful — can be the hardest to convince.

One of the fastest ways to prevent a colleague from shutting you down is to use a tool from the world of improv called “Yes, and …”

If you want your idea to feel as real to your audience as it does to you, you’ll need to prepare a presentation that brings every type of learner into the fold.

The easiest way to do this is to give people several entry points into the concept you are pitching. For instance, you might incorporate a brainstorming session for the active learners, a visual demonstration for those who need to “see to believe,” and include data points for the analytical crowd.